Improvement in atmospheric car-brakes



2 SheetsSheet 1.

W. L. CHAMBERS. ATMOSPHERIC GAR BRAKE.

No. 92,265. Patented July 26, 1869.

I 2 sheets-sheet 2. W. L. CHAMBERSL ATMOSPHERIC GAR BRAKE.

No. 92,265. Patented July 26, 1869.

II III! IIIII I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM LATTA CHAMBERS, OF PLEASANT UNITY, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN ATMOSPHERIC CAR-BRAKES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 92,265, dated July 6,1869. v

Specification, and in which- Figure 1 represents a View, partly inelevation and partly in section, of a tender and a portion of a car withmyimproved atmospheric brake applied thereto; Fig. 2, a bottom view orplan of the same, inverted; Fig. 3, a rear view of the tender Fig. 4, afront view of the same; Fig. 5, a side view of a portion of the same;Fig. 6, a vertical longitudinal section through the valve-box Fig. 7,avertical transverse section through the same; Fig. 8, a plan or topview of the case inclosing the valvelevers Fig. '9, a similar view ofthe valve-box with the caplremoved; Figs. 10 to 13, inclusive, aredifferent views of the device employed for closing the ends of theair-tubes Figs. 14. to 17, inclusive, are views of the coupling employedfor throwing the air-pump into and out of gear, Fig. 18, a bottom viewofportions of two cars, showingthe mannef of connecting the air-tubes;Fig. 19, a view, partly in elevation and partly in'section, of the shortconnecting-tube, and Fig. 20 an end view of the same.

The object of my invention is to provide an :eflicient and reliablebrake for railroad-ears which can be operated automatically by theengineer in such manner as to apply the brakeshoes simultaneously to allthe wheels in the train by means of compressed air, thereby dispensingwith the services of brakemen, and enabling the speed of the train to bequickly checked and the same brought to a stand in a short space oftime, thus reducing greatly the risk of accidents from collisions orruns-off, to to which ends my improvements consist in a force-pump andair chamber or reservoir, from which the air is conducted to a cylinderat- ,tached to the trucks of the tender and cars and operating pistonstherein, connected to the brake-shoes, in the manner. hereinafter morefully described.

In the accompanyin g drawings, which show a convenient arrangement ofparts for carrying out the objects of my invention, A represents thetehder, and B a car of the train.

, In the drawings the brake-cylinder and its connections are shown onlyupon the truck of a six-wheeled tender; but in. practice it is intendedthat similar devices shall be placed upon the trucks of all the cars.

A force-pump, B, providedwith a piston, B, suction-valves b b, anddelivery valves b 12 is secured upon the tender-frame, its piston beingreciprocated by means of the piston-rod b cross-head b andconnecting-rod B connected to a crank, b ,.on a short shaft, 1), ro-

tating in hearings on the frame and carrying a spur-gear, b, whichmeshesinto acorresponding pin-ion, d, on the front tender-axle, 1).

The gear I) is loose upon the shaft in which a longitudinal slot, W, iscut, and a similar slot,'b is formed in the hub of the gear I).

A feather, b, ona clutch, bflrestsin the slot b and is pressed up to theslot [1 of the gear I) bya spring, b. When thefeatherb enters the slot11 the'gear b and shaft 1) will rotate together, and the force-pumpBwill be put in operation, and when withdrawn from the slot b the gear I)will rotate'loosely on-the shaft, and the pump consequently be stopped.

'lhe clutch is moved to withdraw the feather when desired by means of apivoted shipper,

I1 whose free end rests in a groove upon the periphery of.the clutch,and which is connected'by a rod, 12, with a pivoted lever b, the upperend of which is within reach of 'the engineer. and is held by aspring-detent, b", when the clutch is moved to withdraw the feather, asabove. When released the spring b forces the feather into the slot b andthereby puts the pump in operation.

Airis forced by the pump B through a pipe, 0, into an ainchamber orreservoir, 0, on the tender, in which a'supply of compressed air ofproper tension to operate the piston of-the brake-cylinder is constantlymaintained. This reservoir is connected, by a pipe, 0, with a valve-box,G, at the front part of the tender,

from which apipe, Gr, extends, communicating, by suitable flexibleconnections hereinafter to .be described, with the variousbrake-cylinders of the train.

F represents a brake-cylinder, attached to the tender-truck A, andconnected by a flexible tube, G with the pipe G. A cylinder similarlyconstructed'and'operated is attached to each truck of thetrain, asbefore stated; but that of the tender only will be. here described andreferred to.

Within the box G is a partition. 9, between the pipes c and G, in whichis an opening closed by a valve, 9. This valve is secured upon a stenng,connected to a pivoted lever, 9 within reach of the engineer.

By the movement of the valve 9 compressed air is admitted to or shut offfrom the various brake-cylinders at pleasure.

The valve-box G is provided with two snitably-weighted safety-valves, gand g placed on different sides of the partition g. When the pressure ofair in the reservoir 0 is greater than is necessary or safe, the valve gwill rise and allow it to escape.

The valve 9 serves as a safety-valve for the brakercylinders and theirconnecting-pipes, and is raised by, the engineer to allow the air toescape therefrom when the brakes are to be released.

The brake-cylinder 1* is provided with a piston, f, connected, by apiston-rod, f, to a cross-head, f working on guides f on thetruck-frame.

The brake-shoes H are pressed against the wheels a in the ordinarymanner by means of an arm, F, the upper end of which is provided withpine working in slots in the cross-head f, the two pairs of brake-shoesbeing con nected by a rod, f. I

The cross-head f is connected, by chains/' with spiral pulleysf on ahorizontal shaft in rear of the cylinder E which shaft is connected, bya chaimf", with a spring, f secured to the frame.

When the compressed air 1s allowed to escape from the cylinder byraising the valve as before described, the spring f draws the piston fbackward by means of the connections just stated, and thereby releasesthe brakes. The spiral form of the pulleys f enable greater leverage tobe had in proportion as the chains are wound up.

In order to provide an air-tight connection between the air-tubes of thedifferent cars, and at the same time-to allow them to conform to thecurvature of the road, the following devices. are employed. 7

A pipe, I, is secured longitudinally upon the bottom'ot' each car, whichis connected by a flexible pipe with the brake-cylinder on its trucks.At one end of the car the pipe I terminates in a stationary box, K, andat the other is secured air-tight toa flexible pipe, I,

sufficiently long to be connected to the pipe ofthe next car or of thetender, and to allow, the cars to curve properly.

The box K is provided with a pivoted door, K, in which is made alongitudinal slot, k, and which is pressed up to the box by a spring,is.

A valve, k, slides in the slot 10 by which theopening of the pipe I canbe closed when the car is the last of the train. When another car isattached, the valve k is moved in the slot 70 until the opening of thepipe I is exposed. The free end of the flexiblepipe I, which is providedwith a collar, 5, is then inserted in the slot is and brought up to theopening of the pipe I,when the spring k, acting upon the pivoted door K,holds the pipes closely in contact, and communication is establishedwith the valve-box G on the tender.

When that end of the car which carries the flexible pipe I is the lastof the train, the rear opening of the pipe is closed by inserting itscollar .i in a' slotted frame, 70 at the end and side of the car. Apivotedvalve, k, is pressed against the mouth of the pipe by a spring,70'.

The pipe G, bywhich compressed air is conveyed from the valve-box G onthe tender, terminates in a box, K, of the construction first abovedescribed, and. when thetender is coupledto that end of the car whichcarries the flexible pipe I, the connection is made between the two inthe manner state When the end of the car which carries the box K is nextthe tender, the connection between the boxes is made by a short flexibletube, L, having collars Z Z on itsends, which areiuserted in the slotkof the pivoted doors K.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that all the brakes of atrain can be simultaneously applied andreleased by the engineer, and bythe application of a power which is is always under his command,withoutdepend ing on the attention of brakemen or involving any loss oftime in passing from one brake to another, as is the case in brakes oithe ordinary construction.

The. speed of a train can be quickly checked, and the danger of loss oflife and damage from collisions and runs greatly reduced by the use ofmy ilnprovemonts, which can be readily applied to cars of theordinaryconstruction.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim therein as new,and desire .tosecare by Letters Patent, is-

1. The cylinder B, operated as described, the brake-cylinder F, andbrake F, arranged relatively to each other as herein described.

2. The valve-box G, valve 9, and safetyvalves g in combination with. thereservoir 0, pipes c G, and brake-cylinders F, the whole constructedsubstantially asset forth.

3. The brake-cylinder F, piston f, arm F, and brake-shoes H, with thechains f pulleys f and spring f, the whole arranged substantiallyasdescribed,

4. 'Theboxes K, and pivoted doors K. in

combination with the flexible pipes I L, and" air-pipes G and I,constructed substantially as described.

5. The shaft b and gear-wheel b, in combination with the shipper bspring 12 and pivoted-lever b, the whole arranged substantially asdescribed and set forth.

\ The above specification signed by me this 18th day of February, 1869.

WILLIAM LATTA CHAMBERS.

Witnesses:

F. 0. Sons, CHARLES Harmon.

